Wed Apr 19 2017 (Updated 04/20/17)
The End of Money Bail in California?
Wed Apr 19 2017 (Updated 04/20/17)
California Senate Committee Votes to Eliminate State's Money Bail System
California warehouses thousands of people in jails while they await their court dates — simply because they can’t afford to post bail. Meanwhile, wealthy people can easily buy their freedom. Research shows that Black people are assigned higher bail amounts than white people accused of similar offenses. People who can’t post bail are at a higher risk of being convicted, pleading guilty (even if they’re innocent), and receiving harsher sentences. The California Money Bail Reform Act, however, will create a system that prioritizes pretrial services and prevents people from being held in jail simply because they can't make bail.
Wed Apr 19 2017
A Step Forward for the Rights of Transgender Inmates
Across California, and nationally, trans people are funneled into state prisons, detention centers and county jails. While incarceration is violent and unsafe for everyone, trans people face extreme conditions while locked up, including unsafe housing, physical/emotional/sexual assault, lack of access to basic transition health care and a refusal to be recognized by chosen names and genders. SB 310 would make it possible for trans people in custody to file for a legal name and/or gender marker change on their identification documents and would ensure that they are recognized as such while incarcerated.
Mon Apr 17 2017 (Updated 04/19/17)
Black Bloc Defends Berkeley Against Invasion of Trump Fascists
Mon Apr 17 2017 (Updated 04/19/17)
Anarchists and Antifascists Clash with Alt-Right, Neo-Nazis, and Trump Supporters
On April 15, students, anti-racists, anti-fascists, and other residents of the Bay Area clashed in the streets of Berkeley against an array of organized white supremacist and far-right forces. Trump supporters openly carried anti-Semitic signs, fascist symbols, and raised their arms in sieg heil Nazi salutes. Unlike most events and actions the far-right has organized in recent past, this time members of the Right were able to take the streets in a city regarded as a leftist stronghold. The far-right is now bragging that if it can take over Berkeley, it can do the same in any city. Meanwhile, much of the Left focused on marches around Trump's tax returns.
Tue Apr 18 2017 (Updated 04/19/17)
Tax Day Protests Demand Trump Release His Taxes
Tue Apr 18 2017 (Updated 04/19/17)
Tens of Thousands in Over 150 US Cities Demonstrate Against Trump on Tax Day
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump said he would release his taxes, but that he couldn't until a supposed IRS audit concluded. Trump continues to refuse to release his tax returns, despite mounting questions regarding conflicts of interest and how much he might be beholden to those representing foreign powers such as Russian oligarchs. Protesters gathered in over 150 cities on April 15, the traditional tax filing deadline, to demand that Trump release his taxes. In Northern California, Tax Day protests were held in Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, and other cities.
Sun Apr 16 2017 (Updated 04/17/17)
Exposing KPFA's Secret Secession Effort: "Big Tent Radio Network"
Sun Apr 16 2017 (Updated 04/17/17)
KPFA Local Station Board Member Tries to Secretly Create New Organization
Pacifica Foundation is a non-profit organization which owns five independently operated, non-commercial, listener-supported radio stations known for their progressive/liberal political orientation. Its national headquarters adjoins station KPFA in Berkeley. Bill Crosier, Pacifica Foundation's interim Executive Director, addressed members of the 5-station radio network after it became known that at least one of the KPFA Local Station Board members, with others, has secretly contacted celebrities and prominent supporters of progressive causes, falsely claiming that Pacifica is “collapsing”, and asking them to be on the board of a new nonprofit organization which would seek to acquire Pacifica's assets, or at least those of station KPFA.
Thu Apr 6 2017 (Updated 04/15/17)
Shut Down the Alt-Right Rally on April 15
Thu Apr 6 2017 (Updated 04/15/17)
Berkeley Defend the Bay Bloc Party and Cookout Against the Alt-Right
Bay Area Committee Against Fascism asks: On April 15th, where will the Left be? A repulsive spring medley of Trump supporters, white supremacists, fascists and racists are planning yet another rally in downtown Berkeley. The threat of far-Right and Alt-Right violence isn't fun and it isn't pretty. It isn't happening "somewhere else" and it isn't found inside empty buildings that we march outside of and chant slogans at. It's real, it's in our face, and it's power is growing all around us. We need mass action to defeat them as a community. What we do, or do not do, on Saturday, April 15 will have ramifications across the country.
Thu Apr 13 2017 (Updated 04/15/17)
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Recognizes Staff Union
Thu Apr 13 2017 (Updated 04/15/17)
Staff at Ella Baker Center Form a Union and Join CWA, Local 9415
The staff at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, have formed the Ella Baker Workers Association, a staff union, and have selected the Communications Workers of America to serve as the EBWA’s collective bargaining representative. EBC’s management team has voluntarily recognized the formation of a union to represent its staff. Both staff and management assert that the formation of the union aligns with Ella Baker’s legacy and the organization's longstanding support for unionization, collective bargaining, and worker voice on the job.
Sun Apr 9 2017 (Updated 04/13/17)
Last Generation of Salmon Fishermen, Unless Salmon Runs Improve
Sun Apr 9 2017 (Updated 04/13/17)
Record Low Klamath Salmon Run Spurs Tribal, Commercial and Sport Fishery Closures
Fishery scientists are expecting a record low return of fall-run Chinook salmon to the Klamath River this year, due to a combination of several years of drought, water diversions in the Klamath Basin and to the Sacramento River and the continued presence of the PacifiCorp dams. Tribal, commercial and recreational fishermen are currently waiting for the decision by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) on the fishing seasons at its meeting in Sacramento on April 10, but the outlook is dismal, based on the low Klamath salmon estimates.
Wed Apr 12 2017 (Updated 04/15/17)
"I Don't Work With Pot, I Work With People"
Wed Apr 12 2017 (Updated 04/15/17)
Valerie Corral of Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana Speaks on Industry Today
Valerie Corral and her former husband founded Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) in Santa Cruz, the nation’s oldest continuously operating medical cannabis collective that provides free cannabis for 30 percent of its members. She also helped write and pass Proposition 215, California’s revolutionary medical marijuana law. She has helped build the medical industry and seen it change into what it is today. Now, another twenty years later, the financial climate around cannabis in the United States has changed into a million dollar industry, but Valerie still isn't interested in making money from cannabis.
Sat Apr 8 2017 (Updated 04/09/17)
Santa Cruz City Council Votes Unanimously in Support of the Standing Rock Sioux
Sat Apr 8 2017 (Updated 04/09/17)
Council Resolution Seen as Precursor to Formal Divestment from Dakota Access Pipeline
On April 4, the Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Citing DAPL’s violation of treaty rights, destruction of sacred sites and the threat posed to Standing Rock’s water supply, the city’s agenda report advised that Santa Cruz join the many cities across the country in officially “Standing with Standing Rock.” The Council’s resolution was formed as part of a collaborative effort between the city and a coalition of Santa Cruz residents working toward the divestment of city funds from major banks funding the project.
Wed Apr 5 2017 (Updated 04/08/17)
One-Year Anniversary of the Death of Luís Góngora Pat, Killed by SFPD
Wed Apr 5 2017 (Updated 04/08/17)
March Against Police Terror in the Sanctuary City of San Francisco on April 7
Luis Góngora Pat was a 45-year-old indigenous Mayan Mexican, an immigrant worker, and a family man who supported his wife and three children in southern Mexico. On April 7, 2016, his life was brutally taken by SFPD. Luis’s killing was at the nexis of several struggles faced by low income people of color: indigenous peoples’ struggles, housing rights, illegal evictions, immigrant rights, dignified wage labor, homelessness, racial profiling and discrimination, police brutality and utter impunity for killing Black and Brown residents. On Friday, April 7, the one year anniversary of his death, Luis’s family will march against police terror in the so-called Sanctuary City of San Francisco.
Wed Apr 5 2017 (Updated 04/08/17)
Court Support for Dejuan Hall, Brutally Beaten by Vallejo Police
Wed Apr 5 2017 (Updated 04/08/17)
Trial Set for June 19 for Dejuan Hall, Victim of Vallejo Police Brutality
Dejuan Hall was brutally beaten by Vallejo police officer Spencer Muniz-Bottomley on March 10, then he was charged with battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. Hall does not face any charges related to the reason police were called on him as he was not breaking any laws. His next court appearances are on Friday, April 7 and then again on Monday, April 10. Hall's trial is set for Wednesday, April 12. Advocates state, "Pretrial hearings are important to attend as lack of pre-trial court support gives the District Attorney's office leverage to intimidate innocent people into taking plea deals."
Tue Apr 4 2017 (Updated 04/05/17)
West Bank Marks 41st Anniversary of Land Day
Tue Apr 4 2017 (Updated 04/05/17)
Clashes Erupt During Land Day Demonstrations, Israelis Injure Dozens of Palestinians
Land Day was marked with demonstrations in memory of the seizure of 21 thousand dunams of land in Al-Jalil, Al-Muthalth and Al-Naqab on March 30, 1976. Palestinians protested the Israeli apartheid wall, attempted to plant olive trees on stolen land, and called for the release of political prisoners held by Israel. Scores were injured by Israelis with rubber-coated bullets and tear gas. Israeli occupation violations against Palestinians continue. Israel has seized more than 85% of the total area of historical land of Palestine. Arabs comprise 48% of the total population, but are able to utilize only 15% of the land.
Mon Apr 3 2017
Whale Entanglements Break Record for Third Straight Year
Commercial Dungeness crab gear entangled a record number of whales in 2016, contributing to a third straight record-breaking year for entanglements along the U.S. West Coast, according to information released this week by the National Marine Fisheries Service. While whale entanglements are reported up and down the coast, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has recently seen the highest number of entanglements. “Whales are suffering slow, painful deaths because there are too many crab traps in Monterey Bay,” said Catherine Kilduff of the Center for Biological Diversity.
Mon Mar 27 2017 (Updated 03/28/17)
Killer of Alan Blueford, "Timebomb" Cop Miguel Masso Strikes Again
Mon Mar 27 2017 (Updated 03/28/17)
After Being Arrested by Miguel Masso, Hollister Man Feels He Barely Escaped with His Life
Miguel Masso was hired by the Oakland Police after leaving his job in New York City in 2007 in the wake of a torture lawsuit. After killing Alan Blueford in 2012, Masso resigned from the Oakland Police Department in late spring of 2014 in the aftermath of the lawsuit brought by the Blueford family against the City of Oakland. He quickly found another job with the Hollister Police Department in August of 2014. Now, after being pulled over by Masso on January 27, 2017, Hollister resident Earl Malanado was physically and verbally abused by Masso. Malanado believes he barely escaped with his life.
Mike Zint & JP Massar write: What does it take to get off the streets? Money? Affordable housing? Employment? Of course the answer is yes, but none of those things is the first step. The first step is stability. Stability that the housed take for granted. A lack of stability means the homeless barely survive. Figuring out how to exist with no sense of safety and security and nowhere to go, worrying about the police yet having committed no crime, takes all that someone has. Sometimes it’s too much and a short note appears in a local paper.
Mon Mar 20 2017 (Updated 03/23/17)
Landmark Report Reveals Hundreds of Native Bee Species Sliding Toward Extinction
Mon Mar 20 2017 (Updated 03/23/17)
Threats to Native Bees Include Severe Habitat Loss and Escalating Pesticide Use
In the first comprehensive review of the more than 4,000 native bee species in North America and Hawaii, the Center for Biological Diversity has found that more than half the species with sufficient data to assess are declining. Nearly 1 in 4 is imperiled and at increasing risk of extinction. The widespread decline of European honeybees has been well documented in recent years, but until now much less has been revealed about the 4,337 native bee species in North America and Hawaii. The new analysis reveals that more than 700 species are in trouble from a range of serious threats.
Mon Mar 20 2017 (Updated 03/21/17)
Open House Prepares Legal Observers Responding to ICE Raids
Mon Mar 20 2017 (Updated 03/21/17)
YARR Training Attracts Crowd of Santa Cruz Supporters for Rapid Response System
The YARR (Your Allied Rapid Response) Open House and Legal Observer Training on March 11 attracted a crowd of nearly 150 people to hear about how they could be part of the Rapid Response Team of Sanctuary Santa Cruz, supporting community members who are targets of an ICE raid or other forms of harassment or bullying. Three attorneys from the Immigrant Liberation Movement (ILM) conducted a training based on their work in three Bay Area Counties now networked in a Rapid Response System. YARR was formed in December 2016 shortly after the election cycle as an outgrowth of Sanctuary Santa Cruz.
Mon Mar 20 2017 (Updated 03/21/17)
Improbable Partners: Tech and Social Justice Advocates Rally Against Trump
Mon Mar 20 2017 (Updated 03/21/17)
"Tech Stands Up" Rally Calls on Company Leaders to Speak Out for Diversity & Civil Rights
Left wing activists, in partnership with tech employees, staged a rally against White House policies on March 14 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza in Palo Alto. The demonstration was attended by hundreds of people. Speakers at the four hour "Tech Stands Up" rally called for inclusion, diversity, and civil liberties. Tech Stands Up is an organization of people in the tech world who object to the Trump administration’s alt-right policies, and wants tech company leaders to speak out against the White House's discriminatory actions.
On March 13, a judge in the US District Court in Oakland denied a motion to dismiss charges in the case of Yuvette Henderson, a 38-year-old woman killed by Emeryville police on February 3, 2015. Henderson’s family is seeking damages from the Emeryville police department for wrongful death, as well as changes to city policies on police use of force. The motion filed by the Emeryville police department claimed there was nothing for a jury to decide in the lawsuit, because officers Michelle Shepard and Warren Williams had a reasonable fear for their safety. Monday’s ruling means the lawsuit will go forward.
Tue Mar 14 2017
Anti-Homeless Architecture is Widespread in Downtown Santa Cruz
Anti-homeless architecture is common in Santa Cruz, including hi-frequency Mosquito Boxes in parks, removing planter boxes and free speech zones on Pacific, replacing the City Hall lawn with gravel and rocks, and now the ugly chain link fencing at the historic downtown post office. On March 11 and 12, Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs decorated the anti-homeless fence at the post office to make it more attractive. Signs, toys, toothpaste and toothbrushes, socks, soap, clothes, shoes, flowers, and strips of fabric were weaved through the links of the fence.
Mon Mar 13 2017 (Updated 03/14/17)
Downtown Streets Blocked in Santa Cruz During International Women's Day Strike
Mon Mar 13 2017 (Updated 03/14/17)
Gender Strikes Organized Internationally as Follow-Up to Women's Marches
On March 8, striking community members marched through downtown Santa Cruz in solidarity with Women's Strikes organized around the world on International Women's Day as a follow up to the massive Women's Marches held on January 21, 2017, the day after the Inauguration of Trump. One group participating in the March 8 demonstration was the UCSC March Collective, who invited people of all genders to join the action, stating, "We strike because we can't afford not to care."
04/20/17 Campaign Against Santa Cruz Houseless Grows More Repressive police | healthhousing | government | santacruz04/19/17 California Senate Committee Votes to Eliminate State's Money Bail System frontpage | police | race | california | government04/19/17 New California State Legislation Honors The Dignity Of Transgender Prisoners frontpage | police | race | lgbtqi | media | california04/18/17 Tens of Thousands in Over 150 US Cities Demonstrate Against Trump on Tax Day frontpage | centralvalley | sf | eastbay | peninsula | northbay | northcoast | government | santacruz04/17/17 Anarchists and Antifascists Clash with Alt-Right, Neo-Nazis, and Trump Supporters frontpage | race | globaljustice | eastbay | california | us | immigrant04/16/17 KPFA Local Station Board Member Tries to Secretly Create New Organization frontpage | healthhousing | media | eastbay | california | us04/13/17 Campaign for Sensible Transportation Proposes a Commuter Benefits Programs environment | santacruz04/13/17 Staff at Ella Baker Center Form a Union and Join CWA, Local 9415 frontpage | police | race | labor | eastbay04/12/17 Valerie Corral of Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana Speaks on Industry Today frontpage | healthhousing | drugwar | womyn | california | santacruz04/09/17 Record Low Klamath Salmon Run Spurs Tribal, Commercial and Sport Fishery Closures frontpage | environment | race | healthhousing | centralvalley | northcoast | california | government04/08/17 Council Resolution Seen as Precursor to Formal Divestment from Dakota Access Pipeline frontpage | environment | globaljustice | us | santacruz
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